NATCHEZ — When a high school baseball team finishes its season with a 21-15 record, that usually means the team either doesn’t make the playoffs or is eliminated early in the postseason.

However, that was not the case with the 2007 Huntington Hounds, who got hot late in the season and for the third straight season ended up in the MPSA Class A State Championship series. And for the third straight season, the Hounds finished as State runners-up.

For their efforts, Huntington head coach Mitch Ashmore is The Natchez Democrat’s All-Metro Coach of the Year and Hounds infielder Trey Corbett is the Player of the Year.

Corbett finished with a .535 batting average with five home runs, 53 runs batted in, 47 runs scored, had 19 doubles among his 61 hits and struck out only four times in 114 official at-bats. He also stole 13 bases and was walked 12 times.

“I don’t think there is any question that he was a very valuable player in us getting to the state championship series the last three years,” Ashmore said. “He is versatile and he has a good knowledge of the game. Trey came up for us big over the last three years. He was able to come in do a lot of things when we were a couple of players down. It’s been a real pleasure of mine to coach him not only with his knowledge, but you don’t have to tell Trey a lot because of his knowledge and his great instinct for the game. He will be missed dearly by Huntington baseball.”

Corbett said that while it was fun playing for the Class A state title for the third year in a row in 2007, it was disappointing to lose to Bayou Academy in the three-game series.

“It was a good experience playing for it. We were disappointed we didn’t win one,” Corbett said.

Corbett added that he has had a few offers to walk-on, but he hasn’t decided if he wants to continue his baseball career. He also hasn’t decided what college or university he wants to attend, but it would probably be Baton Rouge Community College.

Four of Corbett’s teammates are on the first team. Third baseman Landon Willard finished with a .430 batting average. He also hit six home runs, five doubles, one triple, and had 47 RBIs and scored 27 runs. Shortstop Richard Steele, the team’s leadoff hitter, had a .388 batting average with one home run, 25 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and 52 runs scored. Catcher Phillip Washington had a .359 batting average with one home run, 33 RBIs and seven doubles.

Pitcher Josh Lee finished with a 7-2 record and a 3.05 earned run average. Lee struck out 38 batters in 55 innings, gave up 24 earned runs and walked 26 batters.

Representing Adams County Christian School on the first team are catcher Eric Perry, third baseman Austin Weeks, centerfielder Brian Sanderson and shortstop Luke Brumfield.

Perry had a .345 batting average with three doubles, one triple, four home runs, 25 RBIs, and 25 runs scored. Weeks had a .337 batting average with two home runs, six doubles, 20 RBIs and 19 runs scored. Sanderson finished with a .390 batting average with six doubles, one home run, 23 walks, 18 RBIs and 31 runs scored. Luke Brumfield led the Rebels with a .483 batting average to go with 12 doubles, one triple, one home run, 19 walks, 22 RBIs, 34 runs scored and he struck out only five times.

Cathedral also had four players on the first team — catcher Jesse Morrison, who led the Green Wave with a .446 batting average; pitcher Patrick McDonough, who went 11-1 with a 0.76 ERA; centerfielder/pitcher Preston Edwards, who had a .323 batting average and went 7-4 with a 2.10 ERA; and shortstop/second baseman Braxton Fondren, who had a .300 batting average.

Natchez High had five players on the first team — outfielder/catcher Demsond Smoot, who led the Bulldogs with a .537 batting average with one home run

and 23 stolen bases; shortstop/pitcher Edward Johnson, who had a .347

batting average; third baseman Johnny Williams, who had a .400 batting

average and one home run; outfielder Cameron Logan, who had a .396 batting

average and a team-leading five home runs; and right fielder Kendall Logan,

who had a .447 batting average and one home run.

Trinity Episcopal, which had a 14-14 record in 2007, also had four players

on the first team — catcher/middle infielder Parker Brumfield, pitcher Matt

Barnes, pitcher Kolby Godfrey and infielder Clint Easom.

Parker Brumfield led the Saints in hitting with a .388 batting average, in

on-base percentage at .541, and in slugging with a .471 average. He had

seven doubles, 22 RBIs, scored 22 runs and eight stolen bases. Defensively,

he had 15 putouts, two errors and a .947 fielding percentage.

Barnes went 4-3 on the mound with a team-leading 1.64 ERA and struck out 31

batters in 42 2/3 innings. He was also third on the team with a .326 batting

average, had seven doubles, 24 RBIs, scored 12 runs, was second on the team

in on-base percentage at .510 and third in slugging with a .407 average.

Godfrey had a 7-4 record with a 2.25 ERA, struck out 50 batters in 62 1/3

innings and teams hit only .225 against him. Easom had a .297 batting

average with seven doubles, 11 RBIs, scored 26 runs and led the team with 20

stolen bases in 21 attempts. Defensively, he had 36 putouts, only one error

and a .974 fielding percentage.

Vidalia High was also well represented with five players on the first team —

pitcher Will Thomas, who signed with Holmes Junior College, pitcher/first

baseman Trey Brasier, catcher Cameron Ainsworth, outfielder Beau Doughty and

shortstop Jordan Brewer.

Thomas had a 6-1 record with a 1.68 ERA and struck out 84 batters in 62 2/3

innings. He also had a .271 batting average with 18 RBIs and four doubles.

Brasier led the Vikings in wins on the mound in 2007 as he finished with a

10-3 record with a 1.82 ERA and he struck out 76 batters in 69 1/3 innings.

Offensively, Brasier had a .280 batting average with two home runs, four

doubles and 35 RBIs.

Ainsworth had a .372 batting average with six doubles and 27 RBIs. Doughty

had a .269 batting average with 22 hits and scored 28 runs. Brewer had a

.403 batting average with two home runs, 21 doubles and a team-leading 28

stolen bases.